lfe_comp(3)                                                        lfe_comp(3)



NAME
       lfe_comp - Lisp Flavoured Erlang (LFE) compiler

SYNOPSIS
       This  module  provides  an interface to the standard LFE compiler.  The
       compiler can handle files which contain multiple modules.  It can  gen‐
       erate  either  new files which contain the object code, or return bina‐
       ries which can be loaded directly.

EXPORTS
       file(FileName) -> CompRet

       Is the same as file(FileName, [report]).

       file(FileName, Options) -> CompRet

       where

              CompRet = ModRet | BinRet | ErrRet
              ModRet = {ok,[ModOk]} | {ok,[ModOk],Warnings}
              ModOk  = {ok,ModuleName} | {ok,ModuleName,Warnings}
              BinRet = {ok,[ModBin]} | {ok,[ModBin],Warnings}
              ModBin = {ok,ModuleName,Binary} | {ok,ModuleName,Binary,Warnings}
              ErrRet = error | {error,[ModErr],Errors,Warnings}
              ModErr = {error,Errors,Warnings}

       Compile an LFE file, either writing the generated modules to  files  or
       returning  them  as  binaries.   The  generated modules are ready to be
       loaded into Erlang.

       The currently recognised options are:

       · binary - Return the binary of the module and do  not  save  it  in  a
         file.

       · to_expand, to-expand - Print a listing of the macro expanded LFE code
         in the file .expand.  No object file is produced.  Mainly useful  for
         debugging and interest.

       · to_lint,  to-lint  - Print a listing of the macro expanded and linted
         LFE code in the files .lint.  No object files are  produced.   Mainly
         useful for debugging and interest.

       · to_core0,  to-core0,  to_core,  to-core - Print a listing of the Core
         Erlang code before/after being optimised in the files .core.  No  ob‐
         ject files are produced.  Mainly useful for debugging and interest.

       · to_kernel,  to-kernel  - Print a listing of the Kernel Erlang code in
         the files .kernel.  No object files are produced.  Mainly useful  for
         debugging and interest.

       · to_asm,  to-asm  -  Print a listing of the Beam code in the files .S.
         No object files are produced.  Mainly useful for debugging and inter‐
         est.

       · {outdir,Dir}, [outdir,Dir] - Save the generated files in director Dir
         instead of the current directory.

       · {i,Dir}, [i,Dir] - Add dir to the list of directories to be  searched
         when including a file.

       · report - Print the errors and warnings as they occur.

       · return  - Return an extra return field containing Warnings on success
         or the errors and warnings in {error,Errors,Warnings} when there  are
         errors.

       · debug_print,  debug-print - Causes the compiler to print a lot of de‐
         bug information.

       · warnings_as_errors, warnings-as-errors - Causes warnings to be treat‐
         ed as errors.

       · no_export_macros,  no-export-macros  - Do not export macros from mod‐
         ules.

       If the binary option is given then options that produce  listing  files
       will cause the internal formats for that compiler pass to be returned.

       Both Warnings and Errors have the following format:

              [{FileName,[ErrorInfo]}]

       ErrorInfo  is described below.  When generating Errors and Warnings the
       line number is the line of the start of the form in which the error oc‐
       curred.  The file name has been included here to be compatible with the
       Erlang compiler.  As yet there is no extra information  about  included
       files.

       forms(Forms) -> CompRet

       Is the same as forms(Forms, [report]).

       forms(Forms, Options) -> CompRet

       where

              Forms = [sexpr()]
              CompRet = BinRet | ErrRet
              BinRet = {ok,[ModBin]} | {ok,[ModBin],Warnings}
              ModBin = {ok,ModuleName,Binary} | {ok,ModuleName,Binary,Warnings}
              ErrRet = error | {error,[ModErr],Errors,Warnings}
              ModErr = {error,Errors,Warnings}

       Compile  the  forms as an LFE module returning a binary.  This function
       takes the same options as lfe_comp:file/1/2.   When  generating  Errors
       and  Warnings  the  "line number" is the index of the form in which the
       error occured.

       format_error(Error) -> Chars

       Uses an ErrorDescriptor and returns a deep list of characters which de‐
       scribes  the error.  This function is usually called implicitly when an
       ErrorInfo structure is processed.  See below.

ERROR INFORMATION
       The ErrorInfo mentioned above is the standard ErrorInfo structure which
       is returned from all IO modules.  It has the following format:

       {ErrorLine,Module,ErrorDescriptor}

       A string describing the error is obtained with the following call:

              Module:format_error(ErrorDescriptor)

SEE ALSO
       lfe_gen(3), lfe_macro(3)

AUTHORS
       Robert Virding.



                                   2008-2016                       lfe_comp(3)
